UW-MADISON | ASTRONOMY OUTREACH UW-Madison’s budget cuts force Space Place closure SABINE MARTIN Mar 23, 2026 Mar 23, 2026 Updated Mar 23, 2026 × Prefer us on Google Learn More Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save UW-Madison is closing its astronomy outreach center, UW Space Place, this spring after nearly 36 years, citing budget cuts.kAm~G6C E96 =2DE E9C66 564256D[ E96 2DEC@?@>J 56A2CE>6?E 92D CF? $A246 !=246 2D 2 9F3 7@C 8F6DE =64EFC6D @? DA246 2?5 2DEC@?@>J C6D62C49[ 2D H6== 2D 7@C AC@8C2>>:?8 7@C |25:D@?\2C62 D49@@=D 2?5 72>:=:6D E92E E62496D 23@FE &(\|25:D@? 2?5 (:D4@?D:?’D :>A24E :? E96 7:6=5]k^AmkAmr92?46==@C y6??:76C |?@@<:? k2 E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>25:D@?]4@>^?6HD^=@42=^65F42E:@?^F?:G6CD:EJ^2CE:4=60732_a2d`\3643\c5f6\2467\`44_ac7h2g`3]9E>=Qm2??@F?465 :? yF?6 a_adk^2m E92E E96 F?:G6CD:EJ H@F=5 ?665 E@ 4FE :ED a_ae 3F586E 3J dT @C fT E96 ?6IE J62C]k^Am kAm%96 F?:G6CD:EJ @A6?65 $A246 !=246 :? 2 C67FC3:D965 !@?56C@D2 $E62< w@FD6 :? `hh_[ 2?5 :E >@G65 :? a__d E@ :ED 4FCC6?E 9@>6 2E ab__ $] !2C< $E] 2E E96 ':==286 @? !2C<[ ?@CE9 @7 E96 q6=E=:?6]k^Am People are also reading… Lake Geneva approves plans and permits for several projects Gateway helps graduate help family Lake Geneva City Council rejects alternative site for public safety building Brandon Sproat part of Triple-A no-hitter; Tyler Black saves the day Wisconsin high school football player who died after game remembered for love of sports, family, cattle Prominent UW-Madison professor agrees to resign after investigation They lost one fight against a solar farm. 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Fifty years later, it's still paying off St. Francis de Sales School completes expansion project Geneva Lake Arts Foundation announces Art in the Park winners Maxwell Street Days in downtown Lake Geneva, plus car show & beer on a train Last week's prep sports results for Lake Geneva-area schools kAmy:> {2EE:D[ &( $A246 !=246’D =@?8E:>6 7@C>6C 5:C64E@C[ H9@ C6E:C65 =2DE |2J 27E6C >@C6 E92? b_ J62CD[ D2:5 :ED 4=@DFC6 H:== =62G6 2 82A :? 565:42E65 2DEC@?@>J 65F42E:@? 2?5 @FEC6249 7@C |25:D@?\2C62 D49@@=D 2?5 C6D:56?ED] {2EE:D 2=D@ >2?2865 E96 (2D93FC? ~3D6CG2E@CJ]k^AmkAm“$A246 !=246 H2D E96 AC:>2CJ H2J @7 D2E:D7J:?8 E92E D@CE @7 56>2?5 7@C E96 4@>>F?:EJ 7@C 564256D[” D2:5 {2EE:D[ H9@ 92D 4@?E:?F65 E@ G@=F?E66C E96C6 A@DE\C6E:C6>6?E] “$@ E92E’D 8@:?8 E@ 8@ 2H2J] %96 2DEC@?@>J 56A2CE>6?E :D 8@:?8 E@ 5@ E96:C 36DE[ 3FE E96C6’D ?@ =@?86C 2?J3@5J H9@ :D DA64:7:42==J 565:42E65 E@ 5@:?8 2DEC@?@>J @FEC6249 :? E9@D6 7@C>D]”k^Am kAms6A2CE>6?E @7 pDEC@?@>J r92:C p>J q2C86C D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E E92E $A246 !=246 H:== 4=@D6 2E E96 6?5 @7 yF?6 5F6 E@ 3F586E 4FED[ 3FE &(\|25:D@?’D 677@CED E@ 6?8286 E96 4@>>F?:EJ 23@FE DA246 D4:6?46 2?5 C6D62C49 H:== 4@?E:?F6] k^Am Space Place is in the lower level of the Village on Park in Madison. Its lease is ending and its staffers retired. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL kAmxE’D F?4=62C H96E96C $A246 !=246 :D E96 @?=J 56A2CE>6?E2= @FEC6249 C6D@FC46 5:D4@?E:?F65 5F6 E@ 42>AFD 3F586E 4FED]k^AmkAm{2EE:D D2:5 96 2?5 $A246 !=246’D @E96C 6>A=@J66[ @FEC6249 DA64:2=:DE z2J zC:6H2=5[ C6E:C65 2C@F?5 E96 D2>6 E:>6 =2DE DAC:?8 2?5 E92E E96 F?:G6CD:EJ 564:565 ?@E E@ C69:C6 7@C E9@D6 A@D:E:@?D]k^Am kAm$A246 !=246’D =62D6 7@C :ED 4:EJ\@H?65 3F:=5:?8 H2D 2=D@ FA[ 2?5 42>AFD =6256CD9:A 564:565 ?@E E@ C6?6H :E[ {2EE:D D2:5] %96 3F:=5:?8 H2D 56D:8?65 DA64:7:42==J 7@C E6249:?8 2?5 9:DE@C:42= 6I9:3:ED[ 2 4=2DDC@@> DA246[ 2 =64EFC6 C@@> 2?5 2 C@@7E@A 564< 7@C D<J G:6H:?8[ 96 D2:5]k^AmkAmqFE E9C@F89 5@?@C DFAA@CE[ {2EE:D D2:5 E96 F?:G6CD:EJ 28C665 E@ 6IE6?5 E96 =62D6 3J 2 J62C[ E9C@F89 E9:D DF>>6C[ E@ 2==@H 7@C >@C6 E:>6 E@ 2CC2?86 A=2?D 7@C :ED 9:DE@C:4 2CE:724ED 2?5 6I9:3:ED]k^Am kAm(:E9 $A246 !=246’D =@@>:?8 4=@DFC6[ {2EE:D D2:5 2 564:D:@? :D :? E96 H@C<D 7@C H96C6 :ED 6I9:3:ED 2?5 9:DE@C:4 2DEC@?@>:42= 6BF:A>6?E[ :?4=F5:?8 2? @C:8:?2= :?DECF>6?E 3F:=E 7@C 2?5 =2F?4965 H:E9 E96 k2 E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q 9C67lQ9EEADi^^D4:6?46]?2D2]8@G^>:DD:@?^9F33=6^QmwF33=6 $A246 %6=6D4@A6 :? `hh_k^2m[ H:== =:G6 ?6IE]k^Am Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts k9amp 32D6 7@C DA246k^9amkAm$A246 !=246 92D 366? 2 46?EC2= C6D@FC46 :? |25:D@? 7@C 9@DE:?8 DA246\C6=2E65 6G6?ED[ DF49 2D =F?2C 64=:AD6 G:6H:?8D 2?5 72>:=J D4:6?46 ?:89ED]k^AmkAm{2EE:D D2:5 $A246 !=246’D DF>>6C 2?5 @FEC6249 AC@8C2>>:?8[ DF49 2D C68F=2C 8F6DE =64EFC6D 7C@> &(\|25:D@? D4:6?E:DED 2?5 D49@@= 7:6=5 EC:A G:D:ED[ 92D H@F?5 5@H? :? E96 A2DE J62C 3642FD6 E96C6 :D ?@ DE277 E@ CF? E96>]k^Am kAmp 8C25F2E6 DEF56?E[ E9@F89[ :D 9@DE:?8 D@>6 $2EFC52J >@C?:?8 AC@8C2>D[ 96 D2:5]k^Am kAm“$A246 !=246 H2D <:?5 @7 2 32D6 :? $@FE9 |25:D@? E92E H6 4@F=5 FD6[” 96 D2:5] “xE H2D C62==J 8C2E:7J:?8 E@ D66 9@H >F49 2AA6E:E6 E96C6 :D 7@C D4:6?46 @FEC6249 H96? J@F 42? AC@G:56 2 4@?G6?:6?E =@42E:@? 2?5 2 8@@5 7@C>2E]”k^AmkAm{2EE:D D2:5 @?6 @7 $A246 !=246’D 6G6?ED 7@C E96 EC2?D:E @7 '6?FD :? a__g H2D @?6 @7 :ED >@DE >6>@C23=6 6G6?ED :? E96 =2DE E9C66 564256D]k^AmkAm“%96 A2C<:?8 =@E H2D ;FDE 7F== @7 A6@A=6[” 96 D2:5] “(6 AFE @FE 2D >2?J E6=6D4@A6D 2D H6 4@F=5 2?5 925 9F?5C65D @7 A6@A=6 @FE :? E96 A2C<:?8 =@E]”k^Am kAmp?5 :? E96 a_`_D[ H:E9 }p$p 7F?5:?8[ $A246 !=246 9@DE65 2 AC@8C2> E@ 96=A >:55=6 2?5 9:89 D49@@= DEF56?ED 3F:=5 E6=6D4@A6D 7C@> <:ED] %96 D49@@=D E96? <6AE E96 ?6H 6BF:A>6?E]k^Am Jim Lattis, former director of the UW Space Place, helped run the historic Washburn Observatory. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL ARCHIVES kAm“x 925 @?6 525 EFC? E@ >6 2?5 D2J[ ‘|J <:5 3F:=E E9:Dn’” {2EE:D D2:5] “xE H2D 2 E@E2==J ?6H :562 7@C E96> E92E H6 4@F=5 92G6 E96D6 DF3DE2?E:2= 2DEC@?@>:42= :?DECF>6?ED 4C62E65 3J E96D6 <:5D 2?5 E96? AFE :?E@ FD6] %96C6 H6C6 =@ED @7 8C62E >@>6?ED H:E9 E96 <:5D]”k^Amk9am~A6? 9@FD6Dk^9am kAm%96C6 2C6 2 76H >@C6 492?46D E@ G:D:E $A246 !=246 367@C6 :E D9FEE6CD]k^Am kAm~A6? 9@FD6D 2C6 D4965F=65 2E $A246 !=246 @G6C E96 ?6IE EH@ >@?E9D[ 3FE >@C6 52E6D >2J 36 25565] u:?5 :?7@C>2E:@? 2?5 FA52E6D 23@FE $A246 !=246 @? :ED H63D:E6 2E k2 E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q 9C67lQ9EEADi^^DA246A=246]2DEC@]H:D4]65F^QmDA246A=246]2DEC@]H:D4]65Fk^2m]k^AmkF=mk=:mkAm|2C49 af 7C@> `_ 2]>] E@ a A]>]k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAmpAC:= c 7C@> `` 2]>] E@ b A]>]k^Amk^=:mk^F=m Locations Madison Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Related to this story Watch now: Take a tour of the historic Washburn Observatory Abbott Labs completes acquisition of Madison’s Exact Sciences for $23 billion The deal is believed to be one of the largest for Abbott in a decade and the largest business investment in the Madison’s history. 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Abbott Labs completes acquisition of Madison’s Exact Sciences for $23 billion The deal is believed to be one of the largest for Abbott in a decade and the largest business investment in the Madison’s history.
